The County Government of Homa Bay, through the Department of Public Health and Medical Services, in collaboration with Amref Health Africa under the Imarisha Jamii Project, is implementing the County Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Preparedness and Response Microplan to strengthen the County's readiness to prevent, detect and respond to potential EVD cases.
The microplan, developed through a co-creation process, brings together key stakeholders to assess the County's preparedness, identify existing gaps and define priority actions required to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response.
A key component of the plan is the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) pillar, which focuses on identifying communication and community engagement gaps that could undermine effective prevention and response to EVD. The process seeks to strengthen timely dissemination of accurate information, community awareness, rumour management and engagement of communities as critical partners in outbreak preparedness and response.
The partnership is providing technical and budgetary support toward implementation of priority preparedness interventions identified through the microplanning process.
The County has actively rolled out training for frontline healthcare workers and first responders, strengthening their capacity to effectively respond to any suspected EVD incidents.
The preparedness interventions cover critical areas including epidemiological surveillance, early detection and screening, case management, contact tracing, infection prevention and control (IPC), isolation and psychosocial support.
Beyond training healthcare workers, the County will undertake sensitization for multiple stakeholders, conduct community dialogues and carry out public sensitization campaigns using radio talk show platforms.
The County has also commenced the distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, including posters and banners, to reinforce key prevention and preparedness messages across communities and public spaces.
The partnership will further strengthen preparedness through support for essential emergency commodities, including personal protective equipment (PPE), to enhance the safety of frontline responders and health workers in the event of an outbreak.
The capacity of the County Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) has also been strengthened to support emergency coordination, information management and timely response.
Through continuous situational analysis, the County is better positioned to assess emerging risks, identify preparedness gaps and ensure that response measures remain aligned to the prevailing epidemiological situation.
The adopted EVD microplan clearly outlines priority interventions, roles and responsibilities of participating stakeholders, reinforcing a coordinated approach to preparedness, case management and epidemiological control.
The collaboration between the County Government of Homa Bay, the Ministry of Health, the Kenya National Public Health Institute and Amref Health Africa marks an important step in strengthening the County's capacity to anticipate, prepare for and effectively respond to EVD and protect communities from the impact of potential outbreaks.
